Innovation and Development in Polymer Heart Valves: A New Era of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Abstract

Over the 20 years of the development of the transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure, its indications, procedural techniques and device innovations have evolved to a significant degree. Nevertheless, while transcatheter aortic valve replacement has reached a relatively mature stage, research on devices continues. The emergence of the polymer heart valve (PHV) has added a new approach for the treatment of patients with aortic valve disease. This review summarises the development, manufacture and production of previously studied PHV materials. Clinical outcome data, attractive characteristics, recent advances and potential applications in the development of existing PHVs are also reported. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of PHV materials are discussed.